Pizzeria Posto, New in Rhinebeck, Dutchess County

Tasty, fresh, Neapolitan-style, wood-fired pizzas

Lynn Hazlewood

The Margherita: cheesy, tomato-y goodness and the summery taste of basil on a crispy crust

A year or so ago, Oxfam conducted an international survey on food, which revealed, among more serious findings, that Germany’s favorite food is noodles; Brazilians go for lasagna; and Indians, who prefer their own cuisine in general, picked risotto as number two. Pakistan was the only country that liked vegetables best. Australians, who I always picture holding a brewski in one hand and a barbequed shrimp in the other, voted chocolate as their top choice. I’d have bet America’s favorite food was burgers, but evidently it’s pizza, and in another survey that I ran across while double-checking that fact, more than half of Americans declared they “could not live” without it. Pizzeria Posto, a new spot in Rhinebeck, is helping to prevent such a tragedy from occurring.

We heard about Posto’s fresh, delicious Neapolitan-style pizzas from an Italian-American friend who happens to have his own rather impressive pizza oven, and so can be believed. It’s a cute storefront in a little courtyard off East Market Street, and the first thing you see when you walk in is the big, brick, wood-burning oven, imported from Modena to ensure the pies would be the real thing. Red banquettes, a slate floor, and black-and-white photographs on the yellow walls make it much more stylish and cheery than your average pizza joint.

Chef Patric Amedeo, a CIA-trained Poughkeepsie native, keeps the menu simple with just six different 12-inch pies, including the classic Margherita, the Mama Mia (smoked mozzarella, wood-roasted onions and fennel sausage) and the Morandi (Grana Padano, red onions, pistachios, and rosemary). There are nine extra toppings, four salads that are big enough to share, and a couple of anti-pasti. Prices are affordable, too — we split a simple salad and a really tasty Margherita pie with a lightly charred, crispy crust and it set us back a little over $20. Sip one of four or five beers, or a glass of wine (there are seven whites, including Prosecco; and seven reds; three each available by the glass) and life definitely seems worth living.

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About This Blog

Lynn Hazlewood is the former editor of Hudson Valley Magazine and a frequent restaurant reviewer. A shameless booster of local eateries and food producers, she cooks from scratch, makes a terrific risotto, and hopes to live long enough to sample every good restaurant in the Valley.